Twelve Hours
by Moosagi
Summary: They only have 12 hours to save her. Will they make it, or will they lose one of their crew forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol or any of it's characters...

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12:00:00

Mike's heartbeat quickened as the muffled voice was repeated, the words tearing him apart. He wanted nothing more than to get the crew together and to get out and start searching for her. His eyes flickered to Marshall, watching as the older man's face darkened in anger before concern gripped him as the threat was made.

"Twelve Hours. That's all you have and that's all I'm giving you to save her."

Marshall raised his eyes to meet Mike's and noticed the hopelessness in them. He knew his only option was to contact the AFP and he knew that it wouldn't please the crew of the Hammersley, let alone Mike, to know that. He reached out for the handset, his eyes once again resting on the slumped shoulders of Mike and he wished for a moment that there were more he could do. But there wasn't and he knew that.

"Mike, you know I have to contact the AFP."

He watched as Mike nodded his head dejectedly, his eyes resting on his scuffed shoes. Marshall knew he should berate Mike for his scruffy appearance but the situation at hand was more important.

"Go back to the boat and I'll let you know what the AFP say."

His head shot up and he glared at Marshall.

"You're not locking me and my crew out of this. She's part of our team, our family and there is no way you are keeping us from helping."

The words were forceful and Marshall knew he couldn't keep them from helping even if he tried. He nodded his head in resignation.

"That's fine. We'll keep you in the loop. For now… go and be with your crew. I'll call the ship once we have more news."

Mike placed his phone on the desk, knowing now that it was evidence as Marshall took it, placing it in his desk drawer. Whether it would be for attempted murder or murder, he didn't know. He only hoped that they didn't run out of time.

*******************

Marshall looked down at his watch, knowing that with each tick of the second hand, time was running out. He picked up the phone, typing in the familiar number of the AFP's northern department. The phone rang a few times before Marshall's AFP counterpart answered.

"Tim Ainsworth."

Marshall let out a quick sigh, organising the facts in his head before continuing.

"Tim, it's Steve. I need to report something. For the moment, it'll need to be kept highly confidential and urgent."

His tone said it all and Ainsworth knew that something serious had happened. He signalled to his secretary before Marshall continued.

"One of my officers, Lieutenant Kate McGregor, has been taken. We don't know by who, or for the moment, why. All I do know is that we have 12 hours to get her back safely."

Ainsworth's hand tightened about the phone as the facts passed through his head. He knew exactly how to handle this.

"Marshall, I'll get my best team together and we'll meet you over at NavCom."

There was a brief thankyou before the phone clicked dead. Ainsworth composed himself for a moment, knowing that it must be hard for Marshall to be asking for help before looking at his secretary. He had to get things moving and fast.

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11:34:47

Mike's eyes glanced over the crew assembled in the Senior Sailor's Mess. He wanted to keep the information as quiet as possible and knew that only the appropriate people should know. His eye's flickered briefly to Nav and he was able to pick up instantly on her nervousness. With only her, Buffer and Swain assembled in the room with him, she knew that something was up. He glanced at Buffer and Swain, both sitting alert as they waited for Mike's news. He let out a sigh. It was now or never.

"We won't be setting sail any time soon. I received a voice message on my phone this morning informing me of some… complications."

His voice wavered slightly, the thought that Kate, his Kate, could be somewhere out there in a situation that was endangering her life. He felt a hand fall onto his shoulder, squeezing slightly in reassurance. He turned to see Nav give him a brief smile.

"Sir. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together, as a crew."

He let out a sigh knowing that he wouldn't be able to find Kate without the crew behind him.

"I received a voice message this morning telling me that Kate… the X, had been taken. They've threatened us, telling us that we have 12 hours to find her or she's…"

He couldn't bring himself to say the words, couldn't believe that it might just happen. He felt his eyes sting a little and knew what it meant. He wasn't going to cry though, not in front of the crew.

"Marshall is contacting the AFP to involve them. They have more resources and available personnel than we do…"

"They're not going to cut us out though are they?" Swain demanded.

Mike shook his head, "No. They're going to keep us informed and in the loop."

The crew let out a sigh of relief and Mike smiled a little. His eyes flickered to his watch and his heart tightened. They only had eleven and a half hours left to find her.

**********************

Kate let out a groan as she stirred, noticing the way her arms and legs ached. She opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the dim light in the room. The first thing she noticed was the fact she wasn't on a bed. She moved, trying to sit up, only to find her arms and legs tied. Her heart started to quicken, panic overwhelming her as she tried to figure out what had happened. She reasoned that someone was holding her hostage. Why or where, she didn't know. Her eyes continued to glance around the room, hoping to find out where she was being held. They landed on a trunk and she realised what it was that had caused her to wake.

There, on the front of a trunk, was a clock, wires running from it into the trunk. The little red numbers continued to countdown and Kate felt fear overwhelm her.

11:30:00

She screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

He ran towards her, trying to wade through the water around him. It was thick, like mud and was preventing him from getting to her. He tried calling to her, tried to let her know that he was there. But his voice wouldn't work, his throat closing over each time he tried to warn her. He watched as the arm snaked around her neck, pulling her down into the water and away from him. His eyes widened as she cried out to him, pleading with him to save her. He tried to run to her, tried to get there so he would be able to save her. But the water thickened and kept him at bay. He cried out to her but she couldn't hear him and he couldn't see her.

"Kate!"

He shot up in his rack, his eyes glancing around his cabin. It was just a dream, a horrible nightmare. He would get up, walk up into the bridge and she would be there, leaning over some maps or chatting with Nav. Letting out a sigh, he fell back onto his rack trying to calm himself as he got his breath back. There was a knock at his door and he shifted, looking over as the door opened. Nav stepped in, concern written all over her features as she looked at him. The look on her face said it all and reality hit him like a wall. Kate wouldn't be in the bridge. She wouldn't be pestering him anytime soon about something related to the running of the ship. She wouldn't even be on board. His heart tore and he felt the grief overwhelm him. It wasn't a nightmare. It was real. He didn't know when the tears started falling, didn't know when Nav had stepped in and wrapped his arms around her. All he knew was that he had lost Kate and time was ticking away.

"How long do we have?"

The words were choked out, his voice cracking at the thought that each second that passed sent Kate closer and closer to her death. Nav pulled back, her hand still resting in a comforting manner on his back.

"Ten and a half hours. You've only been asleep for an hour."

He sighed as his head fell into his hands, "An hour wasted."

She shook her head adamantly, not wanting him to blame himself. "You're no good to her if you're tired. You can't think with a tired mind. And the AFP are all over this now."

He growled in frustration before standing up. He turned to look at her, his eyes blazing in anger. "The AFP won't do anything! You know how they work and they'll lock us out."

"Sir. They're holding a meeting in half an hour. They want us to attend."

He slammed his fist into the wall, his anger getting the better of him. "To make themselves feel better! They won't include us in the investigation!"

"Sir…"

"Damnit Nav! I should have been there to protect her! I shouldn't have left her on her own!"

She raised an eyebrow at him, not sure where he was coming from. "Sir?"

"I was there… at her house. We were having dinner and I should have stayed! I should have insisted!"

Nav stood up and rested a hand on his arm, "Sir. She goes by the book. She wouldn't have allowed you to stay. It would have been breaking the rules."

He shook his head at her, his eyes pleading with her to understand. "We've broken them before. What difference would have last night made. Except that I would have been there to protect her!"

Realisation dawned on her and she looked at him in shock. Now she understood his urge to protect her. It was the urge to protect someone you love. She gently squeezed his arm, a small reassuring smile coming to her face.

"We're going to find her Sir. And we are going to save her. Then you can tell her just how much she means to you."

He nodded his head, his eyes glancing to his watch. "We had better make tracks to the meeting. Do you mind?"

She shook her head, squeezing his arm in reassurance one last time before leaving his cabin. She closed the door softly behind her and leant against it, trying to regain some of her composure. She had never seen Mike act like that and it scared her. He was normally so composed and in control. The man in there was not the captain they were all so used to seeing. That was a man who was desperate to save the one he loved. She clenched her fists together. She would do everything in her power to save Kate.

***************************

Her eyes flickered around the area where she was being held knowing that if she knew something, she could figure a way to get out. She tugged at her hands, feeling the metal tighten around her wrists. They had used handcuffs to keep her imprisoned and judging from the pole sticking into her spine, she could only guess that she was cuffed to something fixed to the room. Her eyes flickered over to the chest, watching as the numbers continued to tick down, providing the only light in the room. She let out a sigh, trying to control the emotions flooding through her. She only hoped that Mike could find her and save her in time.

_10:00:00_


	3. Chapter 3

_9:45:00_

They'd been in the meeting for barely 15 minutes and already the AFP agents were at odds with the Navy personnel. There hadn't even been discussion on where to head with the case, only talk on whether to keep it from the press or not. Mike's anger was steadily growing, his hands fisting on his knees in an attempt to stop himself from attacking the nearest person. His gaze turned to the man who was leading the investigation. Marshall had introduced him as Tim Ainsworth and, at the time, Mike had the feeling he would be coming up against the AFP agent at some point. He just didn't know it would be so soon. He fought within himself as he glared at Ainsworth, missing concerned glance Nav threw his way.

"Can we stop arguing over the press and actually start organising some plan of attack to find Kate?"

The irritation in Nav's voice could be heard over the debate between Navy and AFP and, for a brief moment, Mike regretted bringing her along. It should have been him bringing everyone to attention. It should have been him showing how angry he was about how the situation should be handled. He shouldn't be the one needing the support. It should be him giving it. A hand wrapped around his, a light squeeze giving him a small amount of reassurance. He looked from the table to Nav, her smile widening slightly, before she released it and turned back to those assembled.

"Look," she began slowly, her eyes moving pointedly between Ainsworth and Marshall. "I don't know much about politics and the minds of… creeps that do this kind of thing. But I do know search plans and I know that what we are doing now is going to do jack-sh… all to help find Kate. We need to start searching now, before the tide and winds change and we lose all hope of finding her."

Marshall nodded, understanding exactly what she was saying. He turned to look at Ainsworth and saw the confusion across his face. "She's got a point Tim. We've already wasted too much time butting heads over this. We need to start looking before the trail goes cold."

Comprehension dawned on Ainsworth's face as he figured out what Nav had been referring to earlier. "So tides and winds have nothing to do with this?"

Marshall chuckled quietly as he shook his head, "No. That's a reference to the searches we conduct at sea."

Ainsworth nodded in understanding and focused his attention onto the entire group. His eyes flickered around the table as he considered ways to go about the search. Being a relatively new situation he was in, he had no idea what to do. "Any ideas on how to do this?"

Nav was quick to jump in, having racked her brain for ideas as soon as she heard Kate was missing. Only one seemed to make any sense and she knew it would take a lot of work. "Sir," she spoke up, her eyes on Marshall, "I have an idea, but it will take a lot of effort."

Marshall was interested, knowing that Nav was likely to have the best idea yet. "Go ahead Caetano. It may be all we have."

Nav nodded her head, her eyes flickering to Mike in concern before continuing on. "Sir, there are probably a lot of people who have a grudge against the Hammersley and the crew, more so Kate, as she's the leader of the boarding party. But I think our best bet would be to look at those who we've apprehended in the time since Kate joined us."

Ainsworth was quick to reply, wanting to gain back control of the case.

"Lieutenant you may just be onto something there. We'll need a record of all the people you have apprehended then in the last two years."

Mike had been sitting in the back, quietly listening to the talk going around him. His mind had been anything but silent; thoughts running rampant through his head. He was still struggling to tackle the guilt that ripped through him. The thought that he could have been there to prevent Kate being taken, even the (remote) possibility that he could have been taken instead of her. It was his fault because he could have stopped it. He blinked and focused on Nav when she spoke of her idea, and he knew instantly that it had been a smart idea to bring her with him. But Ainsworth's words were quick to bring him back to earth and he knew it was time he finally spoke up.

"It's not going to work," his words were just loud enough to be heard, causing the room to fall silent. All eyes turned to him and he knew he had to explain his thought process.

"Sir," Nav sat back down next to him. "It's the only option we have."

"You're wasting precious time here, Lieutenant Commander," Ainsworth added.

Mike's anger hit him in full force. "Don't you dare tell me I'm wasting time when you were fighting over whether or not to tell the press for 15 minutes! I'm saying that the plan you have so happily taken onboard is not going to work. You can't just go through our logs to get names of people we've apprehended. We were involved in busting a major terrorist plot, as well as a Coup. There are a whole lot more people involved than those who are in our logs."

Marshall nodded his head, "He's actually got a point, Tim. You're going to need more staff if you intend on going into it completely."

Ainsworth turned to Marshall, his eyes determined. He wasn't going to give up this case without a fight. "Then I'll get more staff onto it. I'm not going to let this case fall under the radar Marshall. The AFP _will_ get her back and you _will _be thankful for it."

With these words, he focused back on Mike, demanding that the Hammersley's logs from the last two years be sent to the AFP office. Mike nodded, knowing that putting up a fight would be useless at this point in time. Regardless of what the AFP were going to do, he had his own plans.

*********************

_9:15:00_

Kate blinked in surprise as light suddenly flooded the room, her eyes aching as they tried to adjust to the unexpected brightness. She could barely make out the two figures standing in the doorway, most likely men. As her eyes finally adjusted, she saw that they were indeed two men, but what caught her off guard was that she recognised one of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol or any of it's characters.

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_9:15:00_

It was hard to say what exactly made him look so familiar, but judging by the gleam in his eyes, she would be finding out soon. With light now filling the room, she glanced around, guessing she was being held in the cargo hold of a boat. As the sound of footsteps echoed off the metal floor, her eyes were drawn back to the pair. The instant her gaze met the crystal blue eyes of the man on the left, she shivered. The last time she had seen a pair of eyes that colour, she had been looking down the length of her gun – aimed at Rick Gallagher.

_7:00:00_

Lying in his rack, he couldn't recall what the last thing he said to her was. He couldn't remember if he had even told her that he loved her, and that some time in the future, he wanted to marry her. The first time, he had screwed it up by leaving her. This time around, he wanted to do everything right... but was he even going to have the chance?

His eyes slipped shut and he brought to mind every perfect detail about her. Her smile; the way her face would just light up. The way her eyes sparkled after a particularly good boarding. But these were things that she shared with everyone. There were also, however, the things that only he knew about her. Like the scar on her hipbone, where she had been hit with a bottle as a child, or the birthmark she had on her back. Nobody else knew about them, because they were just two of the things she saved for him.

_He listened to her giggle as he ran his hand down along her back, his palms following every curve. Stopping in the small of her back, he traced the peanut shaped birthmark with one finger. Pressing a kiss to it, he listened to her soft murmur._

"_Sorry? I didn't quite catch that." He pulled back as she turned over, her green eyes twinkling in amusement._

"_What is your fascination with my birthmark?"_

_He smiled at her, his fingers running along her stomach now. "I want to do it right this time. I want to know everything about you. I already know what makes you tick, that wasn't hard to pick up on the boat. But I want to know what makes you smile."_

_Moving up her body, he placed a kiss on the scar marking her hipbone. "I want to know what mischief you got up to as a child that would scar you like this." His breath tickled her bellybutton and she giggled. "I want to know…"_

_She reached down and grabbed his head, pulling him up to meet her lips. "I get it."_

Letting out a sigh, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He didn't have time to sleep. He had to find Kate because there was still so much more he had to learn. This time, he was going to get it right.

The moment the blindfold had been put on her, she knew it would be difficult to gauge any sort of idea of where she was. As they led her along, she could hear the metal clanging of doors, much similar to the sound of a hatch closing on the Hammersley. She could only guess that she was being held on a boat or in a shipping container of some sort. For a brief moment, she could feel the heat of the sun on her before it disappeared and the clammy cold set back in. She shivered, whether it was from fear or the cold, she couldn't tell. The one thing she did know, wherever they were taking her, it wasn't for a tea party.

Kate gasped in pain as she was thrown back against the pole, her hands pulled tight behind her as they refastened the handcuffs. Her ribs ached with the beating they had given her and as her glare followed the two men out. She glanced at the nearby clock – still counting down – and promised herself she would find a way out of here. Next time they came, she was going to gain the upper hand.

The door suddenly burst open and Mike shot up. "Doesn't anyone know how to knock?" he growled, looking up into the shocked eyes of Nav, a piece of paper gripped tightly in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Sir. It's just – we've found something. Are you alright?" The last question was thrown on almost as an afterthought, and at first he was confused. It was then he felt the tears slowly tracking down his cheeks. Quickly, he wiped them away.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Just have a few things on my mind."

Nav just nodded in understanding, then stepped into his cabin and shut the door behind her. Grabbing his desk chair, she moved it to sit opposite him and, without a second thought to protocol, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"We're going to find her, Sir. I'm absolutely positive of that now. When we do, the two of you are going to do this properly. You may have to talk about who's doing what in terms of a transfer, but you are going to be together. Is that understood?"

With a small chuckle he nodded, giving a mock salute. "Yes Ma'am."

She smiled back at him before reaching for the piece of paper she had brought in with her. "And here is how I know we're going to find her."

"So he was in jail whilst Gallagher was organising the toxin?"

Swain nodded, his gaze flicking briefly back to the page in front of him. "He was arrested about three years ago on the suspicion that he had explosives in his house. He worked as a demolition worker so had access to them. But it was never proven. It was about a month later he was arrested for assault." Taking a breath, his eyes met Mikes.

"Sir, he was released from prison on good behaviour about four months ago. Since then, he's been reporting to his parole officer here in Cairns."

It was this information that made Mike start to worry. "Cairns? He's been living in Cairns?"

Once again, Swain only nodded.

Mike felt his breath shortening. He now knew who had Kate. Out of all the people that they had taken in, prevented from killing people or committing horrible crimes, a Gallagher was the one having their revenge.

"Did you pass this onto the AFP?" he asked, trying to get his mind back onto the task at hand.

Nav answered. "We have. And they're conducting a search of all the places he has either frequented or owned in the last four months. But they haven't found anything so far."

Frustration hit Mike and he ran a hand across his tired face. He just wanted to find Kate and get away from it all. "Is there anywhere else he may have taken her? If you were him, where would you take her?"

The room fell silent as everyone was absorbed by their thoughts. It was Nav who came up with something. "Did they pull Gallagher's ship up from the ocean floor?" A nod from Swain confirmed her idea. "Well, if I were his brother, I'd take her to the one place no one would think of. Swain, quickly, give me that." She grabbed the piece of paper from him. After skimming over it briefly, she found what she was looking for, and pointed it out to Mike.

"A shipyard?"

Nav nodded. She didn't have any proof, but somehow she knew it was where Kate was.

"How long would it take to get there?" Mike's demeanour had picked up with this new information. Hope filled him, now that they had a reasonable chance of finding her... before it was too late.

"Can't be sure without a map. But I would think about an hour and a bit at full speed."

Taking in the information, he made a decision, one that he knew could get him into huge trouble. "Nav. I want you to give notice to set sail. 15 minutes."

Her eyes widened. "We don't have an XO, Sir. That's a ship stopper."

"Do it, Nav. I'll take the brunt from Marshall. Hopefully, he'll have some understanding."

"Yes, Sir." Nav threw a glance at Swain and they both exited the room, leaving Mike on his own.

A smile crept across his face as he stared at the piece of paper. He knew he had found her. Now he just had to get to her in time.

"I'm coming Kate. I'm coming."

_6:30:00_


	5. Chapter 5

Apologies for leaving it so long to update these last two parts! RL got in the way and got a little bit hectic! But here they are!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol or any of it's characters!

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6:00:00

His heart leapt into his mouth as they finally started the Hammersley's engines and pulled away from their berth. For the last half hour he had watched each and every one of his sailors come onboard, a gleam in their eye as they realised why they were being called. All but one, he realised painfully. Chest aching, he turned to Nav, leaning over her shoulder as she mapped the quickest possible route.

"Sir? Is there something you need?" Her movements ceased, her words spoken to the screen in front of her.

"No. Sorry… I'm just anxious to get going."

She looked at him, compassion shining from her eyes as she threw him a smile. "And we will, Sir. As soon as you stop hovering and let me get this done. We'll get to her. Don't worry."

Her reassurances did nothing to quell the nerves that bothered him, instead managed to increase them. They needed to leave, and they needed to leave soon. As if reading his thoughts, Nav looked up again.

"Sir. We're good to go."

He threw her a tense smile before instructing to the helmsman. "Start up the engines."

5:27:34

Gaze flicking to the red numbers, she let out a sigh, wishing that they would tick down a little faster. She had resigned herself to the fact that Mike wasn't coming. In reality there were no such things as princes on white horses. She had let fantasy take her away these last few weeks. What she had with Mike wouldn't last long. If they couldn't do it once, what made them think it would work second time around? She let out a bark of cynical laughter. First she had to get out of this hellhole, then she could consider her love life.

Sighing, she let her head fall back against the pole. The movies had it wrong, she was sure of that. Most would assume that being put in this sort of situation would force her into considering making it work with Mike. That whole, 'if you were going to die, what would you do differently' thing. Well, she had news for whoever had come up with that, because she wouldn't change a thing. Sure, she'd had her heart broken. But she'd come through it, graduated the top of her ADFA class and was now known as someone to watch in the RAN. She was happy with her life achievements and knew that who ever did her eulogy would have a lot to say.

"Lieutenant Kate McGregor was an amazing… no, _inspiring_ officer. She was the epitome of the Navy values and displayed them in everything she achieved, encouraging those she served with to do the same. Damn. Why is it you never have a pen and paper when you most need it? Or a free hand?"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she kicked out, wanting to be able to stretch into a position that allowed her to move freely. They could keep the door locked for all she cared, as long as the cuffs were taken off. It wasn't like she could disarm a bomb. With a laugh, she added that to her 'To Do' list. Next time, it could come in handy… if there was a next time. The red glow flickered briefly and, throwing a glance at the numbers, she found her breath catching. She had barely five hours to live. Anyone else facing that fact would be able to say sorry to the people they'd hurt, tell their loved ones how they felt. With a broken sob, she realised she wouldn't be able to do any of that. She'd live her last moments surrounded by an eerie red glow. Screaming in frustration, she kicked out again, vainly trying to free herself.

Rubbing a hand over his tired face, Marshall looked towards Ainsworth, hoping for some good news. At the disappointed look on his counterpart's face, he knew there was none. Exasperated, he sighed, knowing that he couldn't go to the crew of Hammersley with no news. A quick movement caught the corner of his eye as a sailor raced towards the room.

"Sir! Sir!"

"What has you running like death itself is at your heels, Petty Officer?"

The sailor heaved in several great lungfuls of air before finally composing himself. "Sir. Hammersley set sail half an hour ago."

The sound of the ringing SAT phone broke through the tense silence in the bridge. Hesitantly, Mike reached for it, already knowing who would be on the other end of the line.

"Hammersley. Lieutenant Commander Flynn speaking."

The handset lasted all of 2 seconds against his ear before Marshall's voice echoed out of the earpiece, loud enough for the whole bridge to hear.

"What the hell are you thinking, Mike? You know that an XO is a ship stopper and yet you still decided to set sail, without permission! You've really dug yourself deep in it this time! For the time being, I'm going to take in the fact that you probably have some information that might be useful but when this is all over, I'll be dragging your arse over the coals. Understood?"

For a second, Mike stood frozen, blindsided by the sudden castigation . Unable to mumble anything other than 'Yes, Sir', he handed the phone over to Nav, so she could relay their latest information. Hearing her take control, he left the bridge, wanting to wallow in his own misery for a while. With each passing minute, he found himself becoming more and more doubtful that they would find Kate in time.

She didn't know what had brought it to mind, but she kept turning the name over in her head, liking the way it sounded.

Lieutenant Commander McGregor.

The chuckle that left her echoed around the room, reminding her of just how alone she was. With a wry smile, she thought of another rank.

Vice-Admiral McGregor. No… even better. Vice Admiral Flynn. Choking on the thought, she wondered where it had come from. She had already decided she wouldn't try again with him, yet here she was now, considering marrying him. That was if she ever got out of here. And if she did get a knight in shining armour, she wanted it to be Mike. She wanted him to ride in on his white horse and damn well save her. She wanted to try again with him, hell she wanted to marry him and grow old with him. But the countdown to the end of her life continued and she highly doubted any of that would happen in the next five hours. She was pulled from her thoughts when the hatch was ripped open and three men stepped in. Confusion clouded her senses at the vest that hung from one of their hands. She really didn't like the look of it.

4:30:00

Nav was quick to lower her binoculars, the countless skeletons of stripped ships sending a shiver down her spine. Turning to Mike, she could see the tension still enveloping him. His knuckles had turned white from their grip on the binoculars, his mouth nothing more than a thin line as a thousand and one scenarios ran through his mind.

"Sir?" He stood frozen for a second, and she wondered briefly if he had heard her.

"Prep a shore party. Fully armed and protected. I'll be going with them so you'll have to remain onboard."

She stared at him, a startled look on her face. "Sir! You can't expect the rest of us to sit by…"

"Lieutenant! Are you questioning a direct order?"

She shook her head, knowing better than to continue her argument. "No Sir. I just think you should be including everyone in this."

His piercing blue eyes stared at her for a moment. "Without an XO on board I need you here."

She stood defiantly for a moment, before conceding defeat and nodding. Handing over a radio, she smiled at him.

"Bring her back, Sir."

Her only response was a nod in return, then he turned and left the bridge.

They moved quietly through the halls of the old cargo ship, guns at the ready, watching for any sign of movement from the mongrels they chased. Eyes constantly searching and ears peeled for any sign, their hope dwindled as each room they searched came up empty. They were reaching the end of their search, coming up to the old cabins. Mike couldn't stop agonising over the thought that they'd come here on a wrong lead. Surely they would have heard a noise, something to indicate that there was somebody on the boat? He stopped and turned to face the crew, to call the search off and head back to base. They were wasting precious time. It was then that he saw it, a dull redness flickering from under a door. Moving towards the door, he signalled to the others. Gently resting his hand on the handle, he checked to see that the rest of the crew had him covered then ever so slowly, he opened the door.

Green eyes slowly met blue, and the resignation in her gaze was quickly replaced by hope. Her entire demeanour lifted as he stepped fully into the room, followed by several other members of the crew. In a matter of seconds he was down beside her, hands wandering, caressing, reassuring them both that this wasn't a dream. Neither noticed the others slip out, giving them a moment of privacy.

"Kate…"

Her name slipped out in a breathless whisper as he wrapped his arms around her, relishing the feel of her warm body against his. The hug, whilst welcomed, was also awkward, the bulk of the vest wrapped around her body preventing him from really embracing her. After pulling back, his gaze slipped down to the vest, almost instantly noticing the wires that ran from it to the chest. A closer look revealed the small squares of explosive stashed in the pockets of the vest, wires running straight into them. His breathing hitched, realising that if this went off, combined with the explosives in the chest, there would be nothing left. Returning his gaze back to meet hers, he allowed the smallest of smiles to grace his face.

"I've been so worried…"

His smile was met with one of her own, though it was slightly forced. Before either could say another word, she pressed her lips to his. There was desperation to the kiss, their first in a while; and neither could stop the thought that it could easily be their last. Pulling back, he cast a quick glance over her restraints. Her hands were pulled around behind her, handcuffed behind a pole that secured her position. Piping that connected to the pole restricted her from standing up and with a low growl, he knew that the sooner they got her out of this god-forsaken ship, the better. A myriad of wiring caused him to baulk and, thinking quickly, he remembered he had a full boarding party.

"ET!"

His shout echoed off the metal walls and rebounded out to the party. Having left the room with the rest of the crew to give the two some privacy, ET stuck his head back through the door.

"Yes, Boss?"

Waving him over, Mike indicated to the wires, hoping his electrical technician could figure out how to disconnect Kate from it all. At the confused look on ET's face, his hopes dwindled.

"I'll give it a go, Boss," ET agreed, giving Kate a reassuring smile.

Leaving ET to his work, Mike turned his attention back to Kate, instantly noticing the resignation in her gaze.

"You're not going to be able to get me out of here," she whispered, throat constricting as she realised Mike's presence didn't necessarily mean her salvation.

He knew she wasn't asking him, she was stating a fact; and he hated that he couldn't deny it. There was still the chance that they might not be able to. His gut twisted at the thought and, quickly banishing it to the back of his mind, he pasted a smile back onto his face.

"Don't say that. If ET can't figure it out then we'll get a bomb expert in here. Pretty soon you'll be walking out of here and back onto Hammersley where you belong."

Gently cupping her face, her small smile returned and his heart swelled. As long as they both believed they could get her out of here, then they would.

"Boss?"

Turning his attention to ET, Mike watched as he stood, indicating for him to move to talk somewhere more private. He looked back at Kate and gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'll be right back. I promise." Standing quickly, he followed ET just outside the door. "What is it?" He instantly picked up on ET's signs of nervousness – a hand run through his hair, eyes unable to make contact with Mike's – and the dark feeling settled back into the captain's gut.

"From what I can see, the wires run into a port that's connected to the detonator. Normally we could just unplug it and let her walk out of here... But I don't think they would make it that easy for us."

Mike shook his head, both agreeing and disagreeing with ET. Common sense told him that ET was right, that there was something fishy about it. But the aching need to get Kate out overwhelmed common sense, and he disregarded it.

"We'll give it a try. You never know. They may not have expected us to even reach her. And with her cuffed, she wouldn't be able to do it on her own."

"Boss…" ET was cut off with a glare from Mike, but he pushed on. "You don't know what could happen. It could set the bomb off."

Mike set his jaw. "Then get the rest of the party out of here and set a perimeter."

His tone booked no argument, and he walked back into the room without another word. Sitting himself back down next to Kate, he took up the bolt cutters Buffer had given him.

"We're going to get you out of here. Just got to get these cuffs off."

Her eyes glistened with both hope and trepidation. "What if it doesn't work?" she asked.

Having released one hand, he cut the other cuff off before he replied. "It will. And we'll get you out of here." Locking his gaze onto hers, he begged her to trust him. Sighing in defeat, she nodded. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the connection, his gaze never wavering from hers.

"I love you," he whispered, and pulled the plug. A series of rapid beeps sliced through the tension in the room and Mike looked at the clock. The steady countdown had been replaced by a rapid blur as the numbers decreased. Without a second thought, he shoved the connection back in, breathing a sigh of relief when the normal countdown speed resumed. Looking back at Kate, he noticed the pure, unadulterated fear in her eyes. Soft sobs reached his ears and, wrapping his arms around her, he could feel her shaking. Apologising profusely, he held her until her sobs subsided. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he kissed her, pouring all the hope and love he felt into it.

"You're not going to get me out of here." Her words were quiet, almost emotionless, and the sound broke his heart. "Please don't stay here. I don't want you to die, too."

Mike shook his head, reaching for the radio. "We're going to get you out, Kate. And I'm not leaving you… Not again."

His words struck deep inside of her and looking into his eyes, she saw the determination. She felt the smallest bit more optimistic.

"Papa-82, this is Charlie-82."

"Papa-82, receiving."

"Nav. How long till the bomb experts get here?"

There was a brief pause before she responded. "An hour."

Eyes flicking to the clock, Mike nodded before acknowledging the message. "As a safety precaution, I want you to set up a perimeter around the ship yard. Get everyone out… just in case."

"Sir…"

Both could tell of the unspoken question. He had no qualms in answering. "I'm not leaving her, Nav. Radio me when the bomb guys get here."

There was another pause. "Yes, Sir. Papa-82 out."

Turning the radio down, he sat down next to Kate, feeling her curl into his side. His arm tightened around her shoulder, his other hand holding hers. The vest still dug uncomfortably into his side, but he ignored it. They sat in silence for a while, before Kate began to speak.

"Earlier, I promised myself I wouldn't let myself get involved with you again." She felt him stiffen and quickly continued. "But then I realised most dying people get to tell their friends and family how much they love them. I went through the list of those I loved and I just kept coming back to one person."

Looking up, she could see that he wanted to ask but was afraid of the answer. Resting a hand on his cheek, she allowed the first real smile since she saw him to cross her face.

"The one person I kept thinking of was you."

Words were not needed as their lips met, the kiss sweet and loving, promising a future together. Slowly pulling back, he let his forehead rest against hers.

"Marry me?" he whispered.

She pulled back, slightly shocked by his sudden question. There was no doubt as to what her answer would be, though. Instead of speaking, she pressed her lips back to his, clearly giving her answer.

Time continued to pass, but neither were willing to look at the clock. They were together and, for now, that was all that mattered. Head resting on his shoulder, she smiled softly at the thought of what she could have.

"I'm thinking a house on the hill, where we can see and smell the ocean."

He nodded in agreement. "Wouldn't have it any other way. What about kids?"

She stiffened briefly. "Kids?"

Looking down at her, he nodded. "Well, yeah. What's wrong with kids?"

Shrugging, she placed her head back on his shoulder. "I just never saw myself as a mother."

He chuckled and was about to reply when the radio crackled. "Boss! The bomb squad is here!"

All protocol was forgotten as he replied, "Then get them here!"

"On their way now, Boss!"

Looking down at Kate, their smiles mirrored each other, thoughts of the future they wanted now able to happen. Cupping her face, he pressed her lips to his, both relishing in the many kisses like this they could share. They were scared, petrified even, but maybe they would get their chance to be together.

Leaping over the edge of the RHIB, Nav sprinted over to meet the awaiting bomb experts. Checking her watch, she smiled. They had plenty of time to get Kate out of there.

"Are you Lieutenant Commander Flynn?"

Shaking her head, she held out her hand. "Lieutenant Caetano. I'm the navigator. Lieutenant Commander Flynn is in the boat."

Taking her hand, the bomb expert glanced in the direction she indicated. "Sgt Will Symons. Can one of you lot show us the way?"

Nav nodded before calling ET over. "He's had a good look at the bomb and could brief you on the way over."

Will nodded appreciatively before delving deep into discussion with ET over the details of the bomb that he could recall. Nav was ready to go, waiting on the two when a loud explosion ripped through the shipping yard. The sudden blast knocked the unsuspecting off their feet, hands covering faces as they tried to shield themselves from the heat that radiated out. As soon as it had happened, it was over. Nav scrambled to grab the radio that had been knocked out of her hand.

"Charlie-82, this is November-82. Do you copy?"

She received nothing but static in reply. Hand gripping the radio, she tried again and again yet each time all she received in reply was static. Her eyes stung from staring at the burning inferno for so long, her voice hoarse with her shouts for someone to respond. Yet the radio continued to tease them all with static. With an animalistic scream, she threw it as far as she could, the sobs overwhelming her as she collapsed to her knees. The entire crew stood there in shock, nobody able to comprehend what had just occurred. An eerie silence fell over the shipping yard, broken every now and again with small explosions as flames reached old fuel tanks. No one moved, no one said a word. No one needed to.

The team jumped as the SAT phone rang, the tension in the room rising as Marshall answered the phone.

"Marshall."

It was the only word they heard come from his mouth, the phone falling from his hand as the news hit him. No one needed to be told what had happened. His face said it all. The tension slipped from the room, replaced with an overwhelming grief. The Navy had lost two fine officers today and they would be missed.

12 Months Later

Nikki walked up to the pair of headstones, her heart aching at the thought that nothing was beneath her. Nothing remained of them, the explosion destroying who they were. Yet the memories of who they were lived on in so many people and that was what comforted Nikki at the worst of times. Sitting down between the pair, she lay the flowers down. The first of many tears slipped down her cheek. Coming here was hard at the best of times, but she found it comforting to talk to them, to keep them updated on how things were with the crew. There was one reason in particular why she was there today.

"Hey guys. I have some exciting news for you. It only took us about a year to finally get to this point, but Josh proposed to me. He's taken up a civilian job and is loving it. It's finally given us the chance to be together…"

Her voice drifted off as she realised what she was saying. The tears started to flow more freely now.

"I wish you were both still here. No doubt we would have all attended your wedding by now. It sucks how cruel life can be sometimes. I just wish you had been able to grow old together. I can promise you both though that it'll be just as much as your wedding as it is ours. I was thinking…"

She continued talking about details of the wedding, telling them both everything she could think of from what flowers she was using to what her dress would look like. A gentle breeze stirred up around her, surrounding her briefly before disappearing. Her eyes turned skywards, a small smile on her face as she stood to leave.

"Miss you both."


End file.
